Mercedes Sprinter conversion - The Pampy Camper
In 2006 I bought this empty Mercedes Sprinter van
and converted it into this camper van
Read about what I did and why I did it.
- Photos of the conversion
- Summary of Darren's 2006/2007 European trip
- Photos of the trip
- Darren's blog (of the conversion and the trip)
- Costs of my trip
Why build a camper van?
I never actually set about to build a camper van. In 2005 I started surfing. I have always lived in Cornwall in England, where surfing is popular, but never really got into it until 2005. I quickly became hooked. I used my BMW 318i car, but it was less than ideal. I couldn't fit my mini-mal board into the car, so it had to go on the roof via soft roof racks. If you've every owned or used a 318i you'll know that whilst they are a pleasure to drive, you can't fit a lot in them as they are saloons. Volkswagen vans are very popular amongst surfers, and the thought of owning a van appealed to me greatly. As did the idea of travelling with my surfboard. I have always loved travelling, and especially like road trips, after having spent a year driving around Australia in 1998. As the summer of 2005 ended and autumn started the weather got colder. After surfing I would change from my wetsuit into my dry clothes are various locations around Cornwall's beaches, and always in the increasing cold. I always wished that I had a van, so that I could change in the van, and have a warm drink afterward. I injured my finger badly whilst chopping firewood at the end of 2005, which bought my surfing to an abrupt end for the year.
The winter of 2005/2006 passed, with me preparing to go travelling to South America and South East Asia in 2006. April came and I decided to stay in Cornwall for the summer, as I was self employed and the additional income of the summer would be great for my trip. I started surfing again. The water was cold and the idea of a van appealed greatly again. I decided to buy a cheap van, just a van, to allow me to enjoy surf trips more.
Which van?
The popularity of all Volkswagen vans has driven their cost up greatly in Cornwall and Devon, so much so that they are no a realistic option. T2 and T25 vans are not my sort of thing anyway. They look cool, but they are a bit dated technology wise for me. I have good mechanical skills, thanks to my dad any many jobs on farms and golf courses. I wanted a diesel engine vehicle, no older than 1995 really. And one I could almost stand up in, rather than having to sit down in constantly. I was prepared to go to the south east of England to find a cheaper VW T4, and also a Mercedes Vito, but both these vehicles are low in height, and it is not possible to stand. My BMW car had impressed me so much in terms of build quality that I was tempted by Mercedes vans. Mercedes vans have always been very popular amongst travelers. In early April 2006 whilst still thinking about vans I saw an advert for a SWB 1995 Mercedes Sprinter in Plymouth, about 50 miles away, for £1,100. Market value for a good one was about £2,200 so it was obvious it was not perfect. I 'borrowed' my dad for the day and we caught the train up. My Dad was a Royal Engineer in the Army, and Engineer by trade, and has a good eye for things.
We got to the garage and the guys where helpful. The van was a little tatty, but not too bad. I took it for a drive and it drove well. A few rattles, but everything was straight and there we no wobbles. The radio didn't work, and it needed 2 new rear tyres and a new exhaust. I had a good think and bought the van for £1,000. I drove it back to my Dads without any problems. The van was a 1995 model, 208D, with 185,000 miles.
What to do with the van?
Initially I had just wanted to tidy up the van and have something useful for surfing. Somewhere I can safely store my board and somewhere to get changed, out of the cold wind. The van was filthy and needed a few jobs doing to it. I cleaned the van thoroughly, gave it a good service and fixed some broken bits.. It was clear that the van had been used for building maintenance, gardening and car boot sales.
After some serious consideration I decided to convert the van into a camper van. Having a camper van for the summer would be great. I would be able to take little trips with it and it would make surfing trips much nicer. I did lots of research looking at professional and home made camper vans.
I had no or very little DIY skills. I did not know how I would make any of the furniture, add any plumbing, fit the carpet, or just about anything else. But I am a quick learner and am good at things I apply myself to. I decided to add some form of seating and a kitchen area, which would go over the wheel arch in the back.
New CD player and speakers
I removed the existing cassette/radio to find it was not even connected, and hence why it didn't work. I connected it but it didn't work. I love music and having some music whilst building the van was very important, as well as afterward. The speakers in the dashboard were rubbish, so I needed a new CD player, one that played MP3 discs, and some new speakers. I went down to Flying Sparks, a local supplier, and got a great deal on a Clarion CD player and four 6 x 9 speakers.
My Dad and I fitted the CD player, and two of the 6 x 9 speakers to the bottom of the bulkhead, facing in towards the cab. This was the position suggested by the guys at Flying Sparks, and made the most sense. The stereo is loud and sounded pretty good for a van.
Ply lining the back
I decided to insulate, line and carpet the back of the van. This would make a nice cosy area. The van was already 3/4 ply lined in the back. My dad and I removed the lining and insulated the walls and ceiling. We used regular loft insulation wool. This is cheap and easy to manipulated into any shape. It is important to ensure it does not all fall to the bottom of the area you are insulating though.
We then covered the entire sides and ceiling with 9mm ply wood. 6mm would have been better, but 3/4 of the sides where already done with 9mm ply, so we used the same. The ceiling was tricky, eventually done with 2 panels. We cut around the lights in the back, so that they came through the lining.
We also installed wiring to the back, inside the paneling for a 12v fridge, and a light. I wasn't sure where these would go, but left the wiring in a suitable place. If they were not used it would be easy just to loose them behind the paneling. Adding the wiring afterward would be very difficult. I also added a waste water connector with flap to the wheel arch. The kitchen waste would connect to this internally, and allow a hose outside to be connected to the wheel arch, and then to a waste container on the floor.
Carpeting the back
I decided to carpet the back of the van to make it a lot cosier to be in. I went to Trago Mills, a local business that sells just about everything you can think of, but in a warehouse kind of style. They had a remnant (off cut) piece of carpet that was just about the right size for the back of the van. It was in a nice brown colour, had a rubber back which was perfect for gluing to the walls. It cost about £30.
I took out the wooden bulk head and cut some off the top, as it was too high. I painted the cab side with a water resistant paint, in a colour similar to that of the cab plastic. I carpeted the side that would be inside the back.
I cut pieces of carpet to fit the ceiling and walls. Leaving about 10mm of extra on each side. I used contact adhesive (Evostick at first and then a much cheaper brand, which was fine) to stick the carpet to the ceiling and walls. The ceiling was done in three strips eventually, to avoid mistakes. My mate Jess helped me with sticking the glue coated carpet to the ceiling and walls, as it is a tricky procedure.
Once the glue had set I used a stanley knife to trim the excess carpet from each panel. More glue was used to stick down the edges where necessary. I got some 6mm ply and made some panels for the 2 rear doors and side sliding door. I carpeted these panels and screwed them to the door.
I bought some vinyl flooring from Trago Mills. I fitted it to the floor of the van. I didn't stick it down at first, I took it back out and continued working so that it would not get damaged. With the excess I covered the box that had been made by someone else to go over the wheel arch. My kitchen would cover and incorporate this in some way.
I made some simple boxes to cover the rear of the speakers that came through the bulkhead. This was to stop anything metallic sticking to them, and also to stop anything puncturing the speaker cones.
Seating
I spent many hours looking around for caravan seating foam. Foam is expensive, and shipping costs are high should you need it delivered. I tried local caravan breakers but they weren't very helpful. I bought some seating foam cushions on eBay. It was a set from a caravan or camper, and had a corner piece so that seats could be arranged in an L shape, which I was hoping to do.
With the cushions I could now make the seating furniture. I decided to make 2 bases, with hinged lids which would allow storage underneath. I made the frames out of timber, and the top from 9mm ply. 9mm ply is strong enough to not need any support in the middle. I made the top smaller than the size of the frame to ensure the top would open easily without catching on surrounding cushions. I attached the top to the frame using hinges. I recessed the hinges into the timber and the top to allow a snug fit when the top was closed. I also made the hinge sit away from the back of the frame to allow the top to open without hitting the wall.
I tried out one seat and was happy with it. I made the second in the same way. With the second base I made a second top, which hinged to the first. This would be the bed section. When folded out it would make a double bed. The hinged lid would make it fit well. When folded away it was not easy to spot that one seat was higher than the other.
I screwed the seating frames onto the walls and floor. I measured and cut 9mm panels to fit the front and sides of the seating frames.
Kitchen
I wanted a basic kitchen area with fresh water, a sink with running waste water, a fridge and a gas stove. I didn't want to fit a gas fridge as I didn't like the idea of it being on all of the time. I got an electric fridge and leisure battery for £45 from a guy in St Austell. He had made a camper van with a Sprinter, although a much bigger one, but the engine had blown up, so he was selling the bits from it. He gave me a Haynes manual to motorcaravans.
My friend Jess has a gas stove I could borrow. It was old and filthy from being stored in a garage. I cleaned it all, wire brushed it and painted it with hamerite. I bought a sink from a VW T25 for £5 on eBay. I bought a foot whale pump for the fresh water from eBay also. The foot pump allows one to pump water and use both hands in the sink, which is very useful.
I measured everything up and made a basic design. The fresh water tank would sit in a cupboard to the left, with the foot pump underneath. The sink would sit to the right of this, with a cupboard holding the gas bottle underneath. To the right would be a recess for the stove. With the fridge underneath in a cupboard. The frame would be timber, and the paneling would be 9mm for strength and to avoid warping on the doors, which can happen with 6mm.
A gas bottle was fitted and secured using straps. The sink waste pipe was connected to the flap in the wheel arch.
Leisure battery and circuits
I bought a fuse box, a caravan split charge relay unit and a battery meter to go with my leisure battery. I also bought two lights to go inside the back of the van. I fixed the leisure battery under the passenger seat. The split charge relay unit was used to charge the leisure battery when the ignition was running. The split charge relay unit also had an output for a 12v fridge. I used this to allow my fridge to be run when the ignition was running. I also added a switch to allow fridge to be run from the leisure battery also, for example when parked. I changed the CD player wiring to use the leisure battery. I added one of the two lights. Each electrical item had its own fuse. Including the battery level meter. To increase my battery power when parked up for long periods of time I bought and fitted 2 additional leisure batteries. These where connected to the first in parallel, simply making a 'battery bank' from the first leisure battery. No other wiring needed to be changed.
Book cupboard
I wanted to add a small book cupboard to the side of the seat by the sliding door. This cupboard would cover the speaker showing through the bulkhead, use up the space here, and provide an extra seat should the van be busy socially. I made the basic frame. I added 6mm panels to the sides, including one of the speakers that would face into the back of the van. I added a hinged 9mm top. I added the second speaker to the seat running along the side of the van.
Tall cupboard
I decided to add a tall cupboard to the end of the side seat. Initially I wasn't sure whether to leave the cupboard as a short one, to allow more light to come in and a surfboard to be stored against the wall, or to make it full height to the ceiling. I decided on the later for maximum storage. I measured and added one 6mm side the wardrobe. The van walls and ceiling both slope so a lot of trimming was required to make the side panel fit. I cut a second panel for the cupboard. Both sides where secured to the walls.
]I added various shelves with different heights between the shelves. I added a timber stop to each shelf to prevent things from sliding out. I also fleeted the shelves downwards towards the back, to further prevent things sliding forward and against the door.
I fitted the 9mm doors. A larger one to the top and a smaller one beneath.
Overhead cupboard
I wanted to add more storage and use the space above the kitchen. I carefully measured and made a frame for the cupboard. I used L shape brackets to add strength to the frame (thanks for the tip Trev). One end of the cupboard would sit around the sliding door aperture, which came away from the wall. So the frame had to be made with this in mind.
I screwed the frame to the wall. I cut and fitted 6mm panels to the sides and bottom. 9mm doors where fitted to the front. I added one of the 12v lights to the underside of the cupboard, but away from the stove where heat and steam would be generated.
Varnish
The furniture was now finished. I decided to varnish the ply wood to protect it and to give a nice finish. The 6mm ply was darker than the 9mm, and the varnish would help to blend the two together.
The kitchen area and overhead cupboard had 3 or 4 coats of varnish, to provide maximum protection from splashed water and steam from cooking. All other plywood had 1 or 2 coats.
Extras
I wanted to carry a surfboard in the van, up against a wall. So I got some door handles and screwed them to the wall. This allowed bungee's to be used to attach the board.
Curtains
I added net curtain cables to run curtains on. I bought some thick black curtain material from eBay. I wanted to make curtains that would completely stop light coming in or out. From the outside the van looked like a regular van, there was no sign of it being a camper van. I wanted to keep this, as it was a great security feature. This later become know as a stealth camper. I didn't want any light escaping from around the curtains to give away the fact that it was a camper van. My dad gave me a revision lesson with the sowing machine and between us we created some curtains and tiebacks. Velcro was sowed to the sides to allow it to be stuck to the carpeted walls.
The Pampy Camper
The van affectionately became known as The Pampy Camper. I became known as Pampy, due a knack of always having what everyone needed at any given time, oh, and a granddads car rear seat blanket. As my camper van, the van simply became known as The Pampy Camper.
Weekends and surfing
The van was used regularly at weekends and during the week for nights away, barbeque's and surfing trips and at festivals. It was great to have somewhere warm and cosy to retreat to.
Things I wished I had done
There are a few things I wished I had done to the van
- Added a roof vent - as I do not have any windows in the back I wished I had added a roof vent to allow air to run through when the door is shut. I think this would have been fairly easy to add, and wouldn't compromise the security, or stealth camper status of the van. My house mate Adam had suggested adding a circulating vent, which would have been a great idea. Wished I'd listened Ads!
- Used black 1-way tinting rather than silver on the rear doors. The silver attracts attention, whereas black would not.
Things I wished were different (but chose not to do)
- A window in the sliding door - having a window (an opening one) in the sliding door of the van would allow air to move around in the back when the sliding door was shut. I chose not to do this as this would indicate that the van was a camper van, and I wanted it to remain looking like a regular van, for security purposes.
- Walk-through into the cab - I wish it was possible to walk from the back into the cab. I chose not to do this because of the cost of getting a single passenger seat to the replace the double. if I had got the single seat I would also want to make it swivel around. I decided on the design I have as it fits my needs well. I do not need the extra seating of the swivel seat. It does annoy me that I have to learn over to adjust the CD player though.
Europe 2006
After closing my business I decided to go on a surfing trip through France, Spain and Portugal with the van. I am writing this from a mountain in Spain's Picos de Europa. I have done over 2000 miles, and have done nothing more than add a drop of oil to the engine. I'll let you know how it gets on below!
- 6th September 2006 - I leave Cornwall
- 8th September 2006 - I get to France
- 3rd October 2006 - I wrote this page from the mountains of Picos de Europa in Spain
- Late October - I get to Peniche in Portugal
- Late November - I leave Peniche, having stayed there for a month
- December - February Mostly in the Alentejo and Algarve, Portugal. I also spent a weekend in Porto and a week in Lisbon
- March - After spending the Winter in Portugal I head to Andalucia in Spain. The change of environment is just what I need. I meet lots of people and spend 6 weeks there.
- April - Back to the Algarve and Alentejo of Portugal
- May - I drive from the Algarve to Madrid, and then onto Barcelona. It is an amazing journey with many landscapes.
- May - A weekend at he Spanish Grand Prix, then back to the North coast of Spain
- June - Back home to Cornwall, after 9 months of traveling.
- July - August - Summer at home enjoying the van
- September 2007 - I sell the van to my friend Rich. I will spending the winter backpacking, and want someone to be able to use the van.
Another van in the future
I will definitely convert another van in the future. Doing the conversion, and using the van are both fun. This van is fairly large which is great for storage and living in whilst in Europe. However it costs more than a small van in fuel and in parts in General. Driving it is not much of a problem as it is easy. However, for surf trips and as my primary vehicle I like the idea of converting a car derived van such as a Peugeot Export. There are several other similar vans made by Fiat and Citroen. These vans are based on a car chassis, and drive just like a car. Brand new diesel empty ones do 50mpg!
I like the idea of fitting an 'across' bed, just like in a VW, that folds out. I would not add running water and a sink, but would rather just keep a can of clean water and a bowl.
If however I find myself doing another trip like my European trip then I might make another big van conversion. there are so many possibilities.
Questions and Answers from people
The roof panels were 9mm ply wood bought from a DIY store. I would consider using 6mm next time as it's more flexible, but 9mm allows heavier things to be screwed/secured to it. It wasn't too difficult to cut the panels into shape.
The roof panels were secured to the metal battens already going across the ceiling of the van, using self tapping screws. I know a lot of people have used very strong adhesive to secure wood battens to the ceiling, and then screwed wood panels to that.
At first the insulation was fine for moisture, but I didn't check it after prolonged time spent in the van.
Cheers
Darren
Camper Van Life is brought to you by Darren Lambert, a big fan of camper vans.
Thanks for being an inspiration, ur van looks great and im looking to do this next year when i get back from travelling... its made me really excitied to know its totally possible! keep living that dream!
Frenchy xxxx
Thanks
Glad you like it.
Have fun on your travels
Hi Darren,
Just been reading through your blog... its really inspiring and something im looking to do when i come back from travelling next year... thanks for the inspiration and keep living that dream! :-) xxx
Thanks for posting all your advice, it is incredibly useful and will hopefully push me into converting a van to a camper (for surfing trips around Europe)
Peace.
No problem. I hope you do it.
I have just bought another van to do it all again!
With your seating that unfolds into a double bed, what did you do to support the the boarding when the bed was unfolded.
Also, I have an 8'6 surf board, using your design would it fit to the wall? Or would I need to get a MWB to do this?
For the bed I got a fence post, about 5cm x 5cm, and cut it into 5 equal lengths. Then I put these posts under the folded out bed area. 1 in each corner and 1 in the middle. During the day the posts where just stacked into the cupboard. Cheap, easy and very hard to break. There is a pic below which should help.
I stored a mini-mal (7' 6") strapped to the ceiling. There were a few more inches to play with, but not another foot.
However if you stored it across the ceiling area, pointing towards where the passengers head would be I think it might fit.
I am now converting a MWB and need the extra length for a 9 foot plus longboard.
All the best
love the web page pal good on you. just wondering what did you do about post when living in the van for 9 months. i am considering doing it and touring france for the summer. but am concerned about getting bank statements/van documents etc.
pete
Pete, I had all my post sent to my parents house. They opened it and told me about anything important.
You could do the same with a friend also.
Any important documents my dad used to scan and email to me. I spend time backpacking in Asia regularly and he does the same when I am there.
Also, there is the Poste Restante. Post offices around Europe allow you to receive mail there. So if you are in a town for a whole (weeks) you could get important stuff sent to the post office.
Go for your trip. It's a great experience. Am doing another van now.
Hiya Darren, What a fantastic blog. Very interesting and informative. Also inspiring. Starting to do the same with an imported Toyota Estima. Best thing about all this is I,m having a fantastic time trying new things in the Estima. Laughing my ass off even if they dont work. Havent lost any money and have everything to gain. Keep up the good work and live free!
Good to hear you are inspired to do the same.
I am doing another van now and am enjoying it more than last time. Best of luck and happy vaning!
Like how you ply lined the back. Were you able to get a pretty good r value using the batt insulation? Did it help keep vehicle at temp when camping?
Did you vent interior some way or just crack a window? Does humidity or stale air build up if not?
The insulation worked well. It kept the van warm when camping in Portugal and Spain during winter. I've since learn't than loft insulation is not the best solution, as it can give of particles that are not good to breath in, and it can hold moisture against the metal sides of the van. On my new van I am using Celotex or Kingpsan insulation boards.
I didn't ventilate the van, and it wasn't a problem. However, if camping during the summer ventilation is required as the heat will build up. Humidity was not really a problem. I did condensation at times, such as in the mornings, but this quickly cleared once I was up and the door was open for a while. I would recommend fitting some sort of ventilation. The rotating roof vents are a great idea.
Hi Isabelle
Hope you've had a great time in SE Asia. Where abouts did you travel?
Glad you've found the website useful.
All the best
Darren
Hi Darren,
I am travelling in south-east Asia at the moment and found your site when I was looking for campervans. I thought I might spend the summer travelling around the coast of the UK and I think a campervan would be great fun.
You're website is great and very informative.
Thanks and best wishes,
Isabelle
great site mate and I love your tale of addventure and how you converted the van, ONLY ONE LIFE ENJOY IT...HAZ LO!
Thanks mate.
Gotta enjoy life :)
Hallow Darren. You did a great job on your conversion. I am trying to find parts and fix my own. I have a 1990 Chevy Conversion Van, UMC. I can not seem to find info on any other like it anywhere. I have searched for an owners manual for a long time now without luck. The left side cabinets fell down. Actually the bottom is hanging and the front is in another peace with the doors still attached. The studes are still hanging. One one each side. What do you think would be the best method of fixing them back properly?
Hi
Glad you like the site :)
L shaped metal brackets are normally great for this sort of thing. They are easy to screw into any wood, and are very strong.
Perhaps you can post a picture of the cupboards, it would make it easier to offer suggestions.
Hi Darren,
First of all, thank you for the tips on where to camp in Spain, they will be useful to use as we continue our already 3 month long journey through europe in our converted Mercedes Vario. We bought the truck in Berlin (her name is Heidi) and converted her with the bare necessities (sink, bed, counter, seats). It has been an incredible journey so far as we have covered 12,000 km already. If anybody is looking to purchase a used Mercedes Vario, I highly recommend looking in Berlin. We came across many that were in very good condition. There is also a lot of free camping there, it is not hard to find a place to park with a group of campervans. Anyway, thanks for all the information! and bonne route!
Hi there, love what you have done, i've been thinking about doing the same but with a ford transit(only as i like my fords)I was just woundering how much this project cost you from start to finish, not including the van..? and did you have any plans to work from.? many thanks Andy
Thanks Andy.
It cost me about £1,200 excluding the van. On reflection I could have save money here and there.
But next time I will probably spend less.
I made some rough plans. But basically started building the most important bits first. The seating/bed was first, as I had bought cushions, and it needed to fit well. Then the storage fitted around that.
Cheers
Darren
Thanks Jamie. Hope your conversion goes well. Cheers
Well done mate - what a brilliant project. Im inspired to do one myself... Thanks for doing the blog.
Hi Rob
Good to hear about your conversion. Mini-bus is a great idea.
I installed 3 leisure batteries. I charged them using a standard split-charge-replay from the engine battery, so they charged when the engine was running. This is a standard thing to do.
You can also just fit a big switch between the batteries, and switch it when the engine is running. But you must switch it back when the engine is stopped, to prevent the engine battery running flat. This is a common thing on boats with engines.
From the batteries I added a fuse box, and from that it was simple to add anything to the circuit. The fridge was just connected to the fuse box with an appropriate fuse. As was the CD player, lights, etc.
I don't have any diagrams, but these links should help.
http://www.campervanconversion.co.uk/campervan-electrics.html
I had 3 batteries, but it's the same principal for 1 or 3 batteries.
Thats a great help, thanks. I have nearly finished the wood work in the van and I am really looking forward to the finished project and to post up a blog.
One thing I would change already is to use 9mm ply instead of mdf. :-)
Rob
Hi Darren,
Me and the mrs have just bought a Long wheel base high roof LDV minibus to convert. We will black the windows out for a more private stealth camper look. Where can I grab info on the electrics side of what you have done, I E diagrams as I am a novice with electronics? I can wire in a cd player etc and I am from an engineering background and can turn my hand to most things, I just need to understand the fridge battery charging etc.
Awesome comversion with such a small van its inspiring!! Well done my friend
Rob
Looking for a good diesel engined motorbike, and a double walled tent. I camped across Canada, park site to park site a few years back with a diesel Jetta, but didn't need the encumbrance of a car. Good oilers, a heatable tent, and a visit or two to the "Safeway" stores are all you really need, that and a good digital camera and some computer access for photo downloads. Biking ought to make it a closer to nature experience, hiding behind a windshield sort of civilizes things too much, and to go by horse now-a-days might be inconvenient.
I think all insurance companies would consider your van modified.
I insured with CIS. They only insured mine as a van, and not a camper. It was still registered as a van with DVLA.
I didn't mention about carrying gas. Never though of it.
bought a sprinter which was alredy converted with a water tank and a gas hob, which I'm assuming mean its been modified? Anyway,just wondering who you insured with, and what they saud about you carrying gas?
It's drving me mental trying to get it insured!
Cheers,
Nara
well done, hats off to you mate and keep up the good work!
Go for it Rob. A campervan needs very little to make it work. Too many people get caught up in 'making it perfect' that they never get around to making a camper.
was talking about the van idea (2nd year of non action) and said just what ypu said - a matress, chair and stove is a better than nowt..so your story is an inspiration - i climb / mtb so the van is a perfect solution - and £50,000 quid for a commercial job is out of my league.
keep having fun dude
rob
It depends. I assume you are going to change it from a van to a camper van with the DVLA? You need to contact them and tell them. Normally you just have to fill out the registration form, send it back and they will issue you a new one.
Sometimes they want to inspect the vehicle. It all depends on what they say.
Contact your local DVLA office, as they are normally the most helpful.
hi there bud was wondering if you know if after a conversion you need to get your van/camper specially tested to make it legal. cheers. cracking job.
thanks for a reply.
All the ideas here are very reasonable, but one thing I wouldn't agree is having a very high permanent bed, because it doesn't fit with the general ideology of room-saving, as it cannot be used then for anything else but sleeping. in your previous van it was reasonable, as you could convert it to sofa.
my current plan is to have a double bed (~180x190cm) at the end, while 1/4 square corner of the bed would be convertible into table. I know it's already stealing 2/3 of the floorspace of the MWB.
Having now only two spare square meters left for everything else, I couldn't imagine having a separate hard-walled room for a shower, so I'm thinking of a soft-walled instead :). a shower tray (high-walled) on the floor and shower curtain all around, ends zipped together... though I just came up with this and I have no idea what may be the drawbacks.
Hi AP
I know windsurfing requires a lot more gear, so you will need a bigger van.
I met several people who were into windsurfing. They kept all of their gear on one side of the van. I think the best idea is to have a high-top van, with the seating down one side, like in mine. Then store equipment above the seating area. You never stand at the seating area, only sit there, so you don't need much head space. Which allows you to store lots of gear there.
Some surfers also store their gear underneath the seating area, as this provides a large un-broken storage area. You could do the same for windsurfing gear.
It was fairly comfortable, but not ideal.
Sleeping was fine as it had a big bed.
Cooking was OK. I had to plan preparation, as their wasn't a lot of spare room.
Eating was OK. I didn't have a table, so had to eat with my plate on my lap. I did have a fold-out camping table, which was OK.
Resting was fine, there was plenty of seating for 1.
I took my wetsuit of straight away, and hung it outside (away from the van to prevent rusting).
The ceiling height was too low for standing, but it wasn't a major issue.
There are several important things to consider:
1. How long will you be living in the vehicle. If its a short time you can compromise on the space you have, and things such as headroom. If it's a long time (more than a few months) you should make sure everything is comfortable. This means enough headroom to stand, and enough floor space to spread out a bit.
2. The weather - If you will be living in the van in summer you will probably spend more time outdoors than in. So inside room is less important then, but being able to cool the inside at night is important during the summer. During the winter you need to have more inside room, as you'll be inside when it rains, etc. But night times are cooler, so make sure you have nice warm bedding.
3. How many people will be living in the van? If more than one then you need more room.
I intended to use the van at weekends, and then live in it for two months. The short wheelbase, medium height van was perfect for that. Easy to park, cheaper to buy and run. But, I ended up staying for nine months, so the van was a bit small for that amount of time. But I managed quite well.
When I do the trip again, assuming it was for nine months I would:
1. Get a high-top van so I can stand up. You can also use the extra vertical space for storage.
2. Probably use the can seats to make the dinning/living are by having them spin around to meet the seating area in the back.
3. Having a dining table.
4. Have a bigger kitchen area in the back.
5. Try and squeeze in a small toiler/shower room. It's easy to make a very water efficient shower, or at least have somewhere to wash yourself from a bucket without soaking the inside of your van.
6. Oh, and I'd probably get a medium wheelbase to fit this all in.
To make a quick and easy camper: I would build a permanent double bed in the back of the van, but very high up. This allows for lots of storage under the bed, including surfboards, tools, etc. I can then get to this by opening the back doors. It doesn't matter it is high when sleeping. This is an easier, quicker, cheaper approach to mass storage and a nice bed. This does leave less room for other things, but you have to choose what is important. You can also get to things from the front of the van.
I would when put a simple kitchen area in the front. Seating can be added in various ways, depends on budget and requirements.
If you want a camper, go for the conversion. I found it easier than i though, and a very rewarding thing to convert and then travel in.
I will definitely do it again, and it'll be much easier second time around.
Hi, I have been thinking for years about doing the same and recently decided that now it's time. The difference is that I'm into windsurfing, so the amount of gear is three times as much :) So I think of buying a bit bigger van: at least medium length, medium or high-top.
My question would be: how comfortable was it to live in there? what about sleeping, cooking, eating, just resting/reading, working, resting in a soaking wetsuit?
Did your floor plan and van size support well all these activities? for example, didn't the ceiling height disturb you while standing up, cooking? you didn't have a table next to the bed, how did you eat? etc...
Hi Boon
I kept a list of costs. It doesn't include food, or entry to sights. Hopefully it will help you. Basically I was getting by on about €5 per day by free camping and always making my own meals. If I was driving a long distance then obviously you need to factor in fuel costs.
http://www.campervanlife.com/blog/darren-lambert/costs-of-my-trip
I'm a web designer, so I did some work as I travelled, but for people I already new. I don't think finding work as you travel will be very easy. However you can always consider bar work in the busy summer times, fruit picking at harvest time, and a number of people get jobs working on yachts at the many marinas around Europe. It will help to have a Competant Crew or Day Skipper certificate if you intend to sail and work on the boats. If you don't fancy going out to sea then try asking at the Marinas if any of the skippers need any work done, like cleaning or painting.
Glad you like the conversion, thanks.
Amazing conversion and glad to see you did it all yourself.
One Question though
How much did it cost you to "bum" round Europe for 9 months and were there any money making ops while you were there (if this is deemed to personal feel free to disregard) I only ask as im currently saving up my cash for a van to convert and hopefully then go travelling and would like to know if its a sustainable lifestyle or if you need a lot of savings?
Thank you in advance and once again great conversion
Boon
Hi Dan
I bought the van in April 2007. I took my time and did the conversion over the summer whilst I was using the van as my surfing van. I left the UK for France in September 2007, so 5 months of conversion time. There was a very raining June in that summer, which slowed things down. If I were to do the same conversion again I could do it in 2 months I think, as I learn't a great deal. A simpler conversion could be done in 2 weeks or a month.
Hey Darren, thanks for collating all this information its very interesting and useful.
I was wondering how long it took to fully convert your van?
Cheers
Mate just read your Sprinter camper van and its well good! fair play.. you should go to the larmer tree festival!its well good.
Hi Paul
I can't remember, it's been a while since I did that job. Are you looking for the feed to charge the battery, or the power source to switch the relay on?
Hi Darren, great conversion. I have a `motocross' type 311cdi conversion which I am converting from weekend/day use to permanent `full time' use. I have installed a mains charger, now its the split charge relay. Have routed the Halfords split charge relay purple wire to the alternator, did you use the small wire that bolts onto the rear? Its the only small wire I can see, but when I took the wire off to check, the battery symbol didn't go out on the dash (without starting the engine) with the ignition on? thanks for a great article. Paul
Hello,
I'd just like to mention that there is a self build motor home /campervan blogsite which also has a large photo archive of the stages of the conversion process and helpful advice. Try googling self build motor caravan club.It is a UK
based club.
Incidentalorly,I have a citroen dispatch van ,combi (this is the fully seated version with windows all round,like the ones you frequently see as taxis-also a good indicator of wheather a make /model is prone to faults).
In the past I have removed the seats and driven to cornwall(Newquay) for the odd long summer weekend to have a go at teaching myself to surf ,and trying to find an unobtrusive spot to park up for the night.Its not too bad if the weather is nice and dry, but its a bit rubbish if the weather is wet and windy and miserable and you are in that small space with your waterlogged ,sand covered surf gear !
Best wishes for Christmas and new year .Summer is only a few months away!!!
Hi Sonia
Whatever you do, you need to be honest with insurance companies. If you are involved in an incident and the insurance company find a discrepancy they might now cover you.
I actually insured my vehicle as a van. The insurance company were happy to do this, but nothing inside the back was covered under the insurance. The insurance company considered it simply as a van.
If this suits you then speak to a few insurance companies who are willing to insure you this way. If you want the contents insured as a camper then you will almost certainly have to have the vehicle re-registered as a camper van, which involves satisfying the authorities.
The cheapest and easiest way to add heating to a camper van is to use gas heaters. There are various types, but the simplest attach to gas bottles. When using any gas heating you are advised to keep a window open, as the fumes can be toxic.
Hope this helps.
Thanks for getting back to me, appreciate it :)
Thanks for informative site, have just bought VW transporter T4 to convert, your info v. helpful. Can I ask how you insured your van though? finding it hard to get cover as mine not going to be a true camper van (not intending bothering with proper cooker/running water/wardrobe, just seat/bed, storage, camping stove with extra home comforts of carpetted walls, lino floor, window and lovely curtains!) and also not for commercial use. Do i have to be totally honest with an insurer since I am not altering performance? Also do you have any tips for cheap heating solutions? I found Parabolic Heaters which are an attachment for small gas bottles on internet for about 25 quid but worried it might give off fumes...?
Cheers for ideas, Sonia
Hi Joe and Sarah.
You're welcome. I hope it inspires you to build your own and have as much fun as I did.
We have just bought a sprinter to convert ourselves so it's great and inspiring to read your story
thanks for sharing it :)
Thanks for sharing this info, ideas and photos - great stuff!
Thank you for sharing your time and effort to educate and share with us.
Lee D.
Hi Toby
Installing a leisure battery is fairly simple. You need to think about how you will charge the battery. Using a split charge relay is normally the best option. This will charge the engine battery and the leisure battery at the same time from the alternator. You could also add a solar panel to charge it when you are parked. Choose your fridge type carefully, as some use a lot of power. More modern fridges use much less power, but are very expensive. Gas fridges are still much cheaper to run. I will be writing lots of information about these topics soon. Hope this helps. Cheers
Hi Darren,
Thanks for this page...I've found it quite inspirational, Ive got a hyundai panel van and was thinking of just installing a bed but might extend that now.
Anyway I like the sound of installing a leisure battery to run a fridge, is this a difficult job or is it totally stand alone from the vans altenator and electrics? Thanks
Toby
I didn't have any trouble getting onto campsites with my panel van. Before my trip I had heard that other people had been turned away, but I never had any problems.
Hello
Did you have any trouble staying in camp sites in Europe? I've heard that some sites don't like converted commercial vans.
i am planing to go camping around europe in the summer. I mite consider buying a van and converting it to a camper.After buying the van would any1 know the aprox buget i would need to make a van into a camper
Hi
You determine the budget. Set your budget and do you conversion based upon it. The cheapest option is a blow-up bed, camping chair, camping stove and water container. That lot would cost about £50/$100.
If you get a few Ikea furniture units and perhaps make a pull out bed then you'll need about £300/$600.
A full conversion with fitted furniture will cost from £1000/$2000 and more.
Like I said, determine how much you have to spend, then work around that budget.
Conversions are great fun and hugely rewarding.
Have fun
Darren
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